


Language Barrier

by 1nky



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gasterblaster AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:52:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1nky/pseuds/1nky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans should know by know that Papyrus is willing to go above and beyond to keep him company when he’s down. He’s just a little startled at how far he’d go. (An aftermath of a GasterBlaster AU)</p><p>EDIT: No longer canon to Spectrum, as of Chapter 6</p>
            </blockquote>





	Language Barrier

**Author's Note:**

> A while ago, people were starting to draw pictures of Gasterblaster Papyrus. I joined in on it, but from there I started really thinking about the setting and circumstances for this version of the AU. So I guess this is an epilogue to events seen in these pictures : http://that1nkyone.tumblr.com/post/132073080927/thought-you-were-a-better-person-than-that
> 
> I thought too hard about it, and here we are. Hope it's fun, and thanks for reading. : )

_Sometimes it just came back._

There would be a surge. A staticky roar that managed to reach beyond the Underground, leeching into the fabric of the world above. Whispers and screams that would briefly turn heads, but scarcely for more than a few moments.

It was the sound of someone reaching out. Attempting to reclaim what they believed was theirs. In vain, for the most part - no real harm could be done. Not anymore.

But as soon as it sounded, Sans always knew to leave the house.

He’d slip on his jacket, put his fists in his pockets and venture away. He’d always feel a little annoyed. Some days, the roar wouldn’t do anything. He’d be in too good a place, or maybe he wouldn’t even notice.

Other days, there was enough give in his psyche for him to know that staying in plain sight wasn’t the best idea.

Today, nobody saw him leave. Papyrus had been out all day. He’d been taking driver’s lessons soon after they’d reached the surface. The skeleton initially had difficulty meeting the learning curve, but eventually progressed into a bright student. His determination had remained consistent the entire time.

Sans had even stopped accompanying him to lessons, reassured that his brother was getting along well with the humans and not crashing into traffic cones deliberately (merely because they were orange. The laws of humans were strange indeed).

Sans wandered down the street, hood over his head. He knew his eye was flickering wildly in its telltale electric blue and yellow, but there weren’t many folks around to witness it. He kept it shut, just in case, kept his breathing controlled. He would stave this off for as long as he had to.

He arrived in the woods at the base of Mt Ebbott. The stigma of the mountain had its perks - not a lot of people dared to approach, and it was a good spot for monsters like him to retreat to when they needed a breather from humanity. Not that humanity was all bad - but like with anything new or sudden, humanity needed time to adjust to things. And sometimes they didn’t handle it in the best ways.

Sans let himself walk fairly deep into the woods. It was sunset - closing in on the evening. Definitely for the best.

At least his tormentor was considerate enough for that.

Stopping at a clearing, he let himself fall back against a tree, letting out a heavy sigh. He tried, one last time, to stop the process, to see if he could give this one a miss and bounce back from his sullen (and enabling) mood. But he already knew he was in too deep.

Sans flipped back his hood. His features had already shifted considerably. His jawline had become jagged, and was beginning to split at his chin. Two small horns were slowly forming at the back of his skull, while his cranium seemed to be forming into a larger, central horn pointing backwards. Even his nasal hole seemed to be splitting upwards, a crack travelling up between his eyes.

He traced his teeth with a bony finger, feeling the canines begin to set in. Sans’ grin grew weary.

Well, no use delaying the inevitable any longer.

He stood up straight. He took in a deep breath…

… and let go.

It was like a torrent. His eye exploded with energy, causing his head to be thrown back by the force. He felt his bones shift and heard them creak and crack in response. His skull felt like it was being stretched out, completely, and after clasping his hands over his new muzzle in response to its aching, he knew by this stage that his face was virtually unrecognisable by now.

The rest of his body was following suit, becoming engulfed in crackling blue energy. His legs were stretching, his joints rearranging, adjusting to new girth and height. Sans let himself fall to his knees - past experience dictated that he did not want to be standing during change. He felt gangly, stretched too thin, unbalanced. (How did Papyrus manage those proportions?)

Another surge ripped through him and this time it hurt. His bones were larger, stronger, his fingers becoming clawed. His vertebrae suddenly produced spikes that ripped through the back of his jacket (that suddenly seemed to be deteriorating into the blue energy). Sans placed his hands on the ground, steadying himself, and doing all he could to remain silent through the change. Wasn’t much left to go.

One last surge. The finishing touches, and yet Sans could do little to hold back a snarl out of pain. The jaggedness of his skull formed curved spikes that were wicked and sharp. His jacket was gone, save his hood, and his shorts remained (in some capacity). His legs had formed into a more digitigrade state, and he stumbled, recalibrating his balance onto the balls of his feet.

The energy crackled about him one final time, and finally dissipated.

Sans… beastly, malformed, but still very much Sans - collapsed into a heap, letting out a breath.

Now… to wait it out.

—

He’d panicked the first time it had happened. Though, ‘first time’ was probably a broad statement. He had changed before then, a couple of times - but during those occasions, the threat had been at arm’s length. A certain scientist could take hold of his psyche, his mind. He’d been very capable of doing all sorts of harm, mentally and physically (but the scientist had so enjoyed the mental aspect. He’d depended on it).

W.D. Gaster had been a broken man, in more ways than one, and the blessed clarity that he had regained upon finally establishing a bridge from the void to this world had restored his brilliance and ability - but he never regained enough of himself to restore his compassion, or bear any more semblance of the person Sans had once worked besides. That man was too far gone, and once Sans and his friends had severed his link to their world from the void, he was nothing more than incoherence once again.

No, by ‘the first time,’ he meant the time after the threat had been locked away. He had heard his demanding, shrill cry that dug into any weakness currently worming into the skeleton’s consciousness. To make his form still respond to the command - to become a tool of destruction on Gaster’s behalf. To ensure he could lash out in anger once more. And Sans’ form, much to his terror, had complied.

…But the changes were purely superficial. The grip that Gaster had once had on Sans’ psyche had vanished entirely. He could only sense weakness and spur the change - not manipulate him. Sans didn’t know whether it was because Gaster could no longer mentally reach him…

… or maybe he’d become a little stronger.

Sans rested his head atop his claws.

Either way, it was a reminder. Gaster still had some hold over him, whether he liked it or not. Some days he could dismiss the call. If he was in a good mood, and heard the buzzing in his ears, he was strong enough to ignore the guy completely, and he’d just move on with his day. No change, no hiding. All good.

Some days he heard it and was caught off-guard. But occasionally, he wouldn’t be alone. Frisk would hold his hand. Toriel would smile understandingly at him. Alphys would send him an equation to do, or a funny video. Undyne would attack him with an affectionate suplex.

And Papyrus…

Sans closed his eyes.

Papyrus was the only one who would properly hear Gaster’s call, too. He would drop everything no matter where he was, hurry to Sans, and make sure he was alright. He was good at stopping the changes. Sans would still feel low, but company often helped it subside, or at least stave it off a little longer.

And then there were days like these, where he was feeling down for no particular reason (or every possible reason). They happened now and then, but if he heard Gaster’s call during these kinds of days, it was essentially a lost cause. He always left the house pre-emptively, even if he had company.

He wondered if they were looking for him, now. Papyrus probably would have returned from his lesson by now, or cancelled midway if he’d heard the Call. Perhaps he would have rang up other people, just in case they needed a search party.

Sans would usually carry a phone, but he couldn’t operate it in this form. Not to mention, his speech was completely impaired. People barely understood a word he said, like this.

“There!”

Alarmed, Sans eyes shot open. At first, the voice had sounded unfamiliar, but he found himself calming down when he saw Frisk hurrying towards him through the trees. Frisk hardly ever raised their voice above a whisper - any louder sounded strange to him.

Frisk came up to his muzzle, placing both hands upon it. Sans managed one of his signature grins, though it was scarcely visible below his first set of teeth, and managed one the words he’d learned to speak through vocal chords strictly made for roaring.

**‘frr..iiis..ssk…’**

“Hi, Sans…” The kid whispered. They looked visibly concerned, but they managed a small smile, regardless. “Papyrus heard - just after his lesson ended. He’s coming.”

As if on cue, the sound of twigs snapping at a rapid pace grew louder and louder and Papyrus burst from the trees, eye sockets wide in concern.

“SANS!” He cried, skidding to a halt and kneeling to face Sans at eye-level. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!”

 **(been better, bro.)** He wanted to say. He made a small chuffing noise, instead.

“I RAN HOME AS FAST AS I COULD. I GUESS I WAS A BIT TOO LATE.” Papyrus said with a quiet sigh. He placed a gloved hand on Sans’ head, and Sans leaned into it. He’d initially been a bit embarrassed about accepting pats, but they always seemed to calm him down, and he later found himself not caring in the slightest.

“I FIGURED YOU’D COME HERE.” Papyrus said, looking around. “YOU WERE HERE LAST TIME. IT’S A GOOD SPOT.”

 _‘Last time.’_ Sans wondered how many more times there would be? There was always something. Before leaving the underground, Frisk had stabilised the anomaly, the reset loop. A promise was a promise, and Frisk, the way they were now, would never go back on it. But now, there was something else to deal with. Probably wasn’t quite as discouraging as undoing progress on a timeline, but it was still… a lot to deal with.

It was still enough to make him feel so very tired.

“Sans…?”

Sans blinked, startled out of his thoughts. Frisk was sitting down in front of him, looking as if they were deep in thought. The beastly skeleton maintained his smile. He wasn’t fond of making the kid worry, but he knew how sensitive Frisk was to the feelings of others. If someone was down, Frisk could tell right off the bat.

Papyrus had gotten better at reading him, too. He had always been sharp - though Sans had usually operated with his secrets under his brother’s nose, Papyrus could generally pick up when something was wrong. He’d never been that confrontational about it, however - just let out a heavy and worried sigh that was visible in the cold air of Snowdin.

Recent events, however, had forced Sans to come clean about a lot of things at Papyrus’ behest. When secrets started putting his brother in visible danger, Papyrus had finally decided to act, and no longer tolerate Sans’ silence.

It turned out to be a weak spot for Papyrus. The idea that Sans didn’t trust him. The idea that Sans wouldn’t let him in on his secrets, that he felt the need to protect Papyrus from such information, at his own expense - at the possibility that Papyrus would lose his brother entirely. The fact that Papyrus believed he’d been helping Sans after all this time, only to realise Sans had partaken in conflicts that Papyrus had never known to exist.

Gaster had planted that thought in his head. _‘What kind of brother are you, if you are no help to him at all?’_

That was enough to establish that same mental vice that Gaster had on Sans. Enough to spur Papyrus to begin transforming into another one of his beastly tools of destruction. The Gaster Blaster.

Frisk had intervened before Papyrus completely lost himself, and he managed to tear himself away from Gaster’s control for good. His determination over his personal demons were too strong. Papyrus wasn’t just optimistic about helping his brother, he fully believed he could.

He wasn’t one for doubt. Sans was. He wondered if that was why Papyrus never changed when Gaster called for them.

Speaking of which…

Another staticky roar drifted through the trees. Papyrus glanced around, suddenly very attentive, while Frisk looked over at him in mild confusion. Sans gave a low growl.

Nothing more would happen to him. Couldn’t change what was already changed. But secondary calls may mean being trapped in the form for longer, and the thought of that made Sans a mite bit grouchy.

There was a brief silence, and Sans noted a thoughtful expression on his brother’s face.

 **“p-pyyruusss…?”** He managed to say. This form didn’t lend much to verbalisation.

To his surprise, Papyrus stood up, still facing him.

“BROTHER… SOMETHING’S OBVIOUSLY BEEN BOTHERING YOU, LATELY. YOU HAVEN’T SAID MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT I’VE BEEN ABLE TO TELL.’

He scratched the back of his skull, in what seemed like a small wince. Sans raised his head, suddenly attentive.

“I KNOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT PROPERLY WHEN YOU CHANGE BACK, BUT IF THAT CALL’S ANY INDICATION, YOU’RE GOING TO BE STUCK LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE… AND I’M NOT SURE IF I CAN WAIT THAT LONG.”

Papyrus seemed to be blinking back something. Initially, Sans believed it to be tears, but his eyes grew wide upon spotting a small flicker of orange.

“NONE OF US CAN UNDERSTAND YOU VERY WELL WHEN YOU’RE LIKE THIS. BUT I KNOW HOW I CAN. I DID IT BACK THEN, AND I CAN DO IT NOW.”

Hurriedly, Sans stumbled to his feet. He gave a low rumble in protest. Papyrus didn’t have to do this - this would pass on its own, eventually. But his brother seemed set on it, and he wasn’t letting up. He was currently giving Sans a stern look.

“REMEMBER WHAT I SAID… YOU’RE NOT TO HANDLE EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN, OKAY?”

His expression softened.

“I DON’T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE.”

Sans’ next vocalisation caught in his throat. He couldn’t stop him.

Frisk had caught onto the tall skeleton’s intentions. They’d appeared slightly worried, but their face had set into a firm expression. They took Papyrus’ hand and squeezed it tightly.

The smile that the skeleton gave back to them was already looking a little fanged.

“I’M GOING TO BE OKAY, FRISK.”

Sans crooned in quiet resignation, and stood crouched on his haunches, tense and watchful. But he was prepared, as he saw his brother stumble back.

“I-I’M GOING TO BE…”

The orange energy flickered around Papyrus’ form. His breath caught, and Frisk released his hand, stepping back.

Papyrus breathed shakily and steadily, focusing as he changed. He wasn’t used to it at all… unlike his brother, this had only been the second time he had shifted like this - and the first he would let himself change so completely.

Like Sans, the shifts occurred in his skull, first and foremost. His teeth grew fanged and sharp, and his skull stretched out into a muzzle. All the while, his body was increasing in size. He gripped his head as he grew, eyes shut as his ribcage seemed to outgrow his armour, which disintegrated away in the orange energy.

Papyrus lost his balance in the second surge. Sans had hurriedly reached over, allowing Papyrus to reach out and steady himself on his arms. He grimaced at the sensation of growing new spines - that was altogether new to him. He let out a low grumble as his entire body was encompassed by a dull ache - his vocal chords were no longer suitable for speaking words.

The final surge enveloped him, and Papyrus let out a gasp as his bones shifted and cracked one final time. Sans observed the slight (but notable) differences between his and his brother’s current forms. They were clearly cut from the same cloth, but even now, Sans could tell that Papyrus was a slight deal lankier and even taller than him.

The spines he had were curved back, and his skull had a vaguely different shape - two of the horns from either side of his head curved inward a little, rather than pointed back. Sans’ tail had been relatively short, but Papyrus’ had extended almost to the entire length of his new body. The remains of his scarf sat comfortably around his neck and shoulders, and from within Papyrus’ eye sockets, two glowing pinpricks of orange were present.

They now seemed focused, the fatigue of the transformation fading away rapidly. Once he was sure that Papyrus was steady enough on his feet, Sans slowly released his arms. 

His brother, a little stunned, stared back at him.

The moment of truth. Sans took a deep breath.

**(hey, bro. how’re you feeling?)**

He saw his brother’s eyes light up in both comprehension and happiness, and found himself giving a relieved laugh (as much as he could manage, in any case).

 **(IT WORKED! I KNEW IT WOULD!)** Papyrus’ eyes shone. **(THANK GOODNESS… YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME TOO, RIGHT?)**

Sans broke into a wide grin. His brother’s excitement was infectious.

 **(loud and clear, papyrus.)** He said. Papyrus beamed, as visibly as he could in said form. Then, he blinked.

**(TO ANSWER YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, SANS, I’M ALRIGHT. … A LITTLE UNSTEADY, BUT ALRIGHT.)**

Papyrus stumbled a little as he spoke, getting used to standing on the balls of his feet. He settled for crouching back down on his haunches, his gaze drawn over to Frisk. The child had been peering from behind one of the trees, less out of fear and more for personal safety - they had been unsure if Papyrus would be able to keep balance.

They stepped over to Papyrus, reaching out to touch his claw. The taller skeleton, suddenly aware of his larger size, suddenly lowered himself down to all fours and his head down to Frisk’s eye level, a little alarmed.

**(FRISK! YOU’RE INCREDIBLY TINY LIKE THIS.)**

His words only came out as a fascinated-sounding growl to the human, and they gave a small smile in return, patting his muzzle.

“I can’t really understand you, Papyrus. But I’m glad you’re okay.”

Papyrus gave a reassuring croon back to Frisk. Right. This had been the problem in the first place. He turned his head to Sans, who had settled down beside him, watching the scene play out. Already, he seemed to be acting more like he should.

 **(welcome to the other side of the language barrier.)** Sans told him. **(what makes sense to us sounds like a junior jumble to them.)**

Papyrus made a face at this. **(WELL, SURELY WE CAN VOCALISE THINGS EVENTUALLY.)** He pointed out. **(YOU MANAGED TO SAY ALL OUR NAMES AT SOME POINT, EVEN LIKE THIS.)**

 **(ain’t the same.)** Sans shrugged. Then, he grinned again. **(no matter how many times i change into this, it’s always gonna _tibia_ struggle to sound out words.)**

Papyrus let out a loud, long-suffering groan. Frisk perked up.

“Definitely a pun, there.” They said, brightly. Sans turned to them, eyebrows raised.

Again, the kid had a knack for reading others.

Silence fell upon the trio once more. Night had fallen, and crickets were echoing around the forest. It was a little chilly, but Frisk was rugged up enough, and the skeleton brothers had never really had to suffer the cold.

Finally, Papyrus spoke.

**(YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT, BROTHER.)**

Sans froze. He confessed that he’d forgotten about his problems briefly, mostly concerned with Papyrus’ change, and then with the levity both his brother and Frisk brought to the situation.

He almost wondered if it was necessary to talk about it. It was easier to forget things, put them to the side in favour of nicer things. Or at least… things that weren’t the problem itself.

Sans gave a quiet sigh. That was the way of thinking that had gotten him into so many messes. While it did apply to some of his problems, there were others that needed to be dealt with. This was one of those times.

Besides… Papyrus had already done so much to get to this point.

**(… i’ve been really tired, bro. worried’s probably a better word for it, but tired suits it too.)**

Papyrus tilted his head. **(WHAT ABOUT?)**

 **(a… good amount of things, really.)** His smile turned bitter. **(the humans are taking a while to warm up to us. seems like every day, tori’s facing protests to get her school shut down. she doesn’t deserve that. it’s just a vocal minority, but… )**

 **(THE QUEEN IS STRONG, SANS.)** Papyrus pointed out. **(I DON’T THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT WILL FAZE HER THAT EASILY. SHE MAY BE A HUGE DORK, BUT SHE’S NOT GOING TO LET ANYONE STAND IN THE WAY OF KEEPING HER SCHOOL. I’VE SEEN HER TEACH. SHE LOVES IT.)**

The taller skeleton glanced upwards at the skies. **(I’VE BEEN MAKING FRIENDS AT THE DRIVER’S SCHOOL. THERE ARE STILL SOME PEOPLE WHO WON’T TALK TO ME, AND EVEN FEWER WHO TRY TO INSULT ME. BUT THEY JUST DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND MONSTERS QUITE YET, SO I’M GOING TO KEEP TRYING UNTIL THEY DO.)**

Papyrus glanced back at Sans. **(SURE, IT’S GOING TO BE VERY SLOW. BUT WITH FRISK AND THE KING AND QUEEN… AND UNMISTAKABLY MY HELP, TOO - WE’LL BE ABLE TO WIN THEM OVER EVENTUALLY, SANS.)**

Sans shook his head with a smile. **(wish i had your optimism, bro)**

 **(I CAN LEND YOU SOME.)** Despite the levity, Papyrus was serious, now. **(WHAT ELSE IS WRONG? IT’S NOT JUST THE HUMANS, IS IT?)**

Sans glanced over at his brother. Sans’ grin was still there, barely visible under his first set of teeth, but constant as per usual. He grinned all the time, regardless of his mood. It wasn’t because he couldn’t do anything else, more that it felt inappropriate to be letting it drop when he was in front of his brother, after so long.

… Regardless, that’s exactly what he did.

 **(i guess i’m also pretty tired of this.)** He gestured to his claws with his head. **(just… having something i can’t really control. seems to, uh… be a running joke in my life. stale material, really.)**

Papyrus was silent for a moment.

 **(GASTER HASN’T BEEN CALLING AS MUCH ANYMORE, HAS HE?)** He said, his tone softer than usual. Sans blinked at his brother’s change in demeanour. This wasn’t a topic either of the brothers enjoyed discussing, especially considering the events had been a mere few months ago.

He briefly wondered if those thoughts were what Papyrus had deliberately tapped into in order to trigger his own change.

 **(nah. this is the first time in a while.)** Sans paused. **(though he was pretty noisy about it, this time.)**

There was a silence. Frisk had positioned themselves against Sans’ forearm, staring up into the skies. They couldn’t understand what Sans and Papyrus were talking about, but their conversational crooning was starting to lull them to sleep.

 **(i doubt there’s much to do in the void. maybe he’s just bored.)** Sans shrugged. **(bored people can be pretty dangerous, sometimes.)**

Papyrus glanced up into the sky again. His expression was set in the same silent concern he’d had back in Snowdin, back when Sans barely shared any of his problems with him.

 **(IF HE CALLS YOU AGAIN… AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP CHANGING, DO YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE WITH YOU, TOO?)** He asked, carefully. Sans glanced over at him, startled.

 **(IT’S EASY FOR ME TO IGNORE HIM.)** Papyrus added. **(I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE LIKE HIM IF I DON’T WANT TO. BUT IF YOU’RE PRONE TO LISTENING, THEN -)**

 **(to be honest, bro, i’d much prefer my changes just stopped in the first place, and there are a lot of ways for me to do that)** Sans said, flatly. **(and seeing you change like that…)**

He swallowed. **  
**

**(papyrus, i won’t lie. i got scared for a minute, there.)**

There was a silence. Papyrus glanced down.

**(I DID TOO, SANS.)**

Sans felt his smile returning a little, incredulous.

**(then, why’d you offer?)**

**(SANS, EVERY TIME I SEE YOU LIKE THIS, I THINK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE BACK THEN.)** Papyrus said, quietly. **(I KNOW YOU’RE HERE, NOW. I KNOW YOU’RE SAFE, AND THAT GASTER CAN’T USE YOU AGAIN. BUT I’M REMINDED OF WHAT HAPPENED, AS WELL.)**

Papyrus shifted uncomfortably on the spot. **(BUT I THINK WHAT BOTHERED ME THE MOST IS THAT YOU SPENT ALL THAT TIME ALONE. YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS TO TURN TO. YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO HELP YOU, EITHER.)**

Papyrus looked at him, pointedly.

**(I ALWAYS WANT YOU TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO, SANS. THAT’S ALL.)**

Sans stared back at him, his expression unreadable.

It was difficult for Sans to take optimism at face value. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many ways the rug could be pulled out from under him. So many things that may not work, even with the best of intentions.

Sans’ smile returned in full.

But this was anything but face value. Papyrus meant what he said. He really did appreciate his brother’s words. And judging by the way his mood was improving, he was starting to take them on board, too.

 **(you don’t have to transform just to keep me company, bro. i do prefer it when i don’t have to change like this.)** He paused. **(… but if i do, i won’t stop you. just… stop _me,_ if you can.)**

Papyrus brightened, the previous mood lifting a little. **(OF COURSE, SANS.)**

Sans let out a soft chuckle.

**(…you really are the coolest brother ever.)**

**(UNDENIABLY!)** Papyrus held his head up high. **(WOULD YOU EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS?)**

It was at that particular moment when they both felt as if the ground was swirling beneath them.

Papyrus let out a startled cry, scrambling to his feet, but stumbling terribly as if he’d completely lost all semblance of balance. Sans, familiar with this sudden sensation, lowered his head to the ground and nudged Frisk who had been jolted awake by Papyrus’ screech.

“S-Sans?! What’s going on?” The child stumbled to their feet and hurried to Sans’ muzzle. “Are you alright?”

Sans nudged Frisk towards the woods with his muzzle. His breathing was growing strained and haggard. Understanding dawned, and the human retreated back behind their tree, looking on in anticipation.

 **(S-SANS? I DON’T FEEL SO GREAT…)** Papyrus had settled with buckling to the ground, after realising that he was unable to move much further. Sans remained still, though had one eye shut in response to the intense dizziness that plagued him.

**(give it a sec, bro. it’s gonna be fine.)**

Energy crackled over their respective forms. Orange electricity danced across Papyrus’ body, and his eyes grew wide in understanding. He glanced over to Sans, who was steadily engulfed in blue flames. He looked back at his brother, his grin reassuring, before Papyrus was suddenly blinded by orange light.

It was only a single, intense surge. It felt like Papyrus had been holding onto something incredibly tightly, only to finally let go and start falling. He reflexively covered his head once more, dizziness making it feel incredibly heavy, but he could feel the large, awkward form melt away into something he felt right at home in, again. He felt his clothing re-materialise on his bones - even his gloves, which he was sure had been torn apart by his claws.

His hands drifted inwards to cover his face, now completely lacking a muzzle. The jagged grooves of his skull were smoothing out into something much more familiar, and relief flooded him.

When the light subsided, Papyrus was sitting on his knees, his eye peeking out cautiously from between his fingers. He sucked in a deep breath, and let his hands fall to his sides.

Frisk charged out from behind the tree and into the clearing. They looked as if they could barely contain their excitement.

“Guys! Are you alright?!”

Papyrus clenched and unclenched his hands, still feeling a little stunned.

“THAT FELT… REALLY STRANGE.” He remarked. Frisk glanced over Papyrus’ shoulder, suddenly waving with a warm smile. The skeleton blinked at the gesture.

“wasn’t too bad that time, actually.” Sans said from behind him. Alarmed, Papyrus jumped to his feet and spun around. His brother was slowly picking himself up off the ground - completely back to normal, hoodie restored and all.

Sans had only just managed to stand properly before he was swept off his feet and up into the air by a crushing hug.

Startled, Sans glanced at Papyrus, who had buried his head in his shoulder.

“BROTHER… YOU’RE BACK!” His voice was muffled.

Sans chuckled. “what? i never left.”

“I KNOW.” Papyrus held Sans out at arm’s length. “BUT I’D BE LYING IF I SAID I DIDN’T MISS THE HAPPY YOU.”

Sans nodded, closing his eyes. “alright, bro.”

Papyrus pulled him back into a hug, and Sans returned the gesture, resting his head on Papyrus’ shoulder.

His smile was genuine, this time.

“then, i guess i’m back.”


End file.
